The Real Estate industry is constantly changing every day. Interest rates and regulations are always being updated. Mistakes can be made if you are not on top of the current rule book. John Collinge is an experienced and top producing Realtor. He knows what the market is doing at any given time. If you need to sell or purchase a home but have questions, call him. Doing it correctly is absolutely essential and John will make sure your deal is done correctly. He will negotiate the absolute best deal for you.

Moving to a new home can be stressful. You have to find the right one, change your address, figure out where to put everything as you unpack, and then settle into a new community. With all of these considerations, why are so many seniors talking about moving?

Well, because downsizing — moving from a big, older home into a smaller, new one — can make a lot of sense. It saves money and effort just when you need it the most in retirement. Although you can never really have a completely stress-free move, with some careful planning and help, you can enjoy the benefits of downsizing.
Image Source: Pixabay

How You Benefit From Downsizing

For seniors, there are two main benefits from moving into a smaller home: money and safety.

If you are paying a mortgage on a bigger house, then you are probably paying for space and land you don’t use. This is a waste of your money, and now that you’re retired, money is something you can’t afford to waste. Buying a smaller house means spending less because the rent or mortgage will be less, as will your taxes and homeowner’s insurance. Even if you paid off your older house, you can outright buy a new one and pocket the difference in savings.

But as Dave Ramsey explains, it’s about more than just the money. Downsizing to a smaller home means less time and effort spent on maintaining and cleaning. That can be very important if you start to have problems with mobility or strength. Mowing a huge lawn or vacuuming all those unused rooms can quickly turn from annoying to difficult.

You Need A Strong Moving Plan

Once you’ve found the right-sized home to make your life easier, don’t start packing just yet. Instead, you need to spend time working on a solid organization plan.

Caregiver.org recommends you start by decluttering your current home. If your new place is smaller, there’s no need to have so many things — or the space for them. Everyone has stuff they don’t use or need anymore, so getting rid of it by donating, recycling, or throwing out can help a lot with whittling down your belongings.

For a more detailed guide for seniors moving into a new home, check out American Senior Communities. Their moving guide starts as much as one year before the move, but it still works if you’re moving sooner. Some of their suggestions include:

Make a list of tasks and assign people to them.

Contact your insurance company to transfer any policies.

Decide where to put things in your new home.

Start by packing things you won’t need right away (like mementos and heirlooms).

Keep You (And Your Things) Safe During The Move

You’ve done your research and got everything packed up and ready to go, and it’s now moving day. It’s an emotional time to be sure, but it could also be a risky one. After all, your body doesn’t have the same strength and resiliency, which means you have to be careful.

Before you even get to moving day, though, the AARP recommends finding reputable moving companies to help with the move. Be sure to check with the Better Business Bureau or the American Moving and Storage Association before hiring anyone. Then let trained professionals handle moving the heavy boxes and appliances. You can even rely on movers to safely pack before the move day arrives. They have the experience (and financial incentive) to keep your things safe.

Downsizing Is A Great Idea

It can be tough getting used to a new place at any age, especially as a senior. But with the financial and safety benefits, downsizing makes sense for many people. By having a good plan in place for organizing your belongings and moving safely, you can be settling in and enjoying the rest of your golden years in no time.

WASHINGTON (May 20, 2016) — Despite ongoing inventory shortages and faster price growth, existing-home sales sustained their recent momentum and moved higher for the second consecutive month, according to the National Association of Realtors®. A surge in sales in the Midwest and a decent increase in the Northeast offset smaller declines in the South and West.

Total existing-home sales1, which are completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, rose 1.7 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.45 million in April from an upwardly revised 5.36 million in March. After last month’s gain, sales are now up 6.0 percent from April 2015.

Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist, says April’s sales increase signals slowly building momentum for the housing market this spring. “Primarily driven by a convincing jump in the Midwest, where home prices are most affordable, sales activity overall was at a healthy pace last month as very low mortgage rates and modest seasonal inventory gains encouraged more households to search for and close on a home,” he said. “Except for in the West — where supply shortages and stark price growth are hampering buyers the most — sales are meaningfully higher than a year ago in much of the country.”

The median existing-home price2 for all housing types in April was $232,500, up 6.3 percent from April 2015 ($218,700). April’s price increase marks the 50th consecutive month of year-over-year gains.

Total housing inventory3 at the end of April increased 9.2 percent to 2.14 million existing homes available for sale, but is still 3.6 percent lower than a year ago (2.22 million). Unsold inventory is at a 4.7-month supply at the current sales pace, up from 4.4 months in March.

“The temporary relief from mortgage rates currently near three-year lows has helped preserve housing affordability this spring, but there’s growing concern a number of buyers will be unable to find homes at affordable prices if wages don’t rise and price growth doesn’t slow,” adds Yun.

According to Freddie Mac, the average commitment rate(link is external) for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage fell from 3.69 percent in March to 3.61 percent in April, which is the lowest since May 2013 (3.54 percent). The average commitment rate for all of 2015 was 3.85 percent.

Properties typically stayed on the market for 39 days in April (47 days in March), which is unchanged from a year ago but the shortest duration since June 2015 (34 days). Short sales were on the market the longest at a median of 120 days in April, while foreclosures sold in 51 days and non-distressed homes took 37 days. Forty-five percent of homes sold in April were on the market for less than a month — the highest since June 2015 (47 percent).

“Looking ahead, with demand holding steady and supply levels still far from sufficient, the market for entry-level and mid-priced homes will likely continue to be the most competitive heading into the summer months,” says Yun.

The share of first-time buyers was 32 percent in April, up from 30 percent both in March and a year ago. First-time buyers in all of 2015 also represented an average of 30 percent.

At last week’s 2016 REALTORS® Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro announced beneficial changes to FHA condo rules, which could help many first-time buyers, are moving forward and are currently at the Office of Management and Budget for review.

“Secretary Castro’s update that the condo rule changes are in their final stages before implementation received great applause from Realtors® both at the forum and throughout the country,” said NAR President Tom Salomone, broker-owner of Real Estate II Inc. in Coral Springs, Florida. “To ensure that purchasing a condo increasingly becomes a viable and affordable option for first-time buyers, NAR supports the ongoing efforts to eliminate unnecessary barriers holding back condo sales. We hope that progress on this condo rule means we’ll see some much-needed changes in the near future.”

All-cash sales were 24 percent of transactions in April, down from 25 percent in March and unchanged from a year ago. Individual investors, who account for many cash sales, purchased 13 percent of homes in April (matching the lowest share since October 2015), down from 14 percent in both in March and a year ago. Sixty-nine percent of investors paid cash in April.

Distressed sales4 — foreclosures and short sales — declined for the second straight month to 7 percent in April, down from 8 percent last month and 10 percent a year ago. Five percent of April sales were foreclosures and 2 percent were short sales. Foreclosures sold for an average discount of 17 percent below market value in April (16 percent in March), while short sales were discounted 10 percent (unchanged from March).

Single-family and Condo/Co-op Sales

Single-family home sales inched forward 0.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.81 million in April from 4.78 million in March, and are now 6.2 percent higher than the 4.53 million pace a year ago. The median existing single-family home price was $233,700 in April, up 6.2 percent from April 2015.

Existing condominium and co-op sales jumped 10.3 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 640,000 units in April from 580,000 in March, and are now 4.9 percent above April 2015 (610,000 units). The median existing condo price was $223,300 in April, which is 6.8 percent above a year ago.

Regional Breakdown

April existing-home sales in the Northeast climbed 2.8 percent to an annual rate of 740,000, and are now 17.5 percent above a year ago. The median price in the Northeast was $263,600, which is 4.1 percent above April 2015.

In the Midwest, existing-home sales soared 12.1 percent to an annual rate of 1.39 million in April, and are now 12.1 percent above April 2015. The median price in the Midwest was $184,200, up 7.7 percent from a year ago.

Existing-home sales in the South declined 2.7 percent to an annual rate of 2.19 million in April, but are still 4.3 percent above April 2015. The median price in the South was $202,800, up 6.5 percent from a year ago.

Existing-home sales in the West decreased 1.7 percent to an annual rate of 1.13 million in April, and are 3.4 percent lower than a year ago. The median price in the West was $335,000, which is 6.5 percent above April 2015.

The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

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NOTE: For local information, please contact the local association of Realtors® for data from local multiple listing services. Local MLS data is the most accurate source of sales and price information in specific areas, although there may be differences in reporting methodology.

1 Existing-home sales, which include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, are based on transaction closings from Multiple Listing Services. Changes in sales trends outside of MLSs are not captured in the monthly series. NAR rebenchmarks home sales periodically using other sources to assess overall home sales trends, including sales not reported by MLSs.

Existing-home sales, based on closings, differ from the U.S. Census Bureau’s series on new single-family home sales, which are based on contracts or the acceptance of a deposit. Because of these differences, it is not uncommon for each series to move in different directions in the same month. In addition, existing-home sales, which account for more than 90 percent of total home sales, are based on a much larger data sample — about 40 percent of multiple listing service data each month — and typically are not subject to large prior-month revisions.

The annual rate for a particular month represents what the total number of actual sales for a year would be if the relative pace for that month were maintained for 12 consecutive months. Seasonally adjusted annual rates are used in reporting monthly data to factor out seasonal variations in resale activity. For example, home sales volume is normally higher in the summer than in the winter, primarily because of differences in the weather and family buying patterns. However, seasonal factors cannot compensate for abnormal weather patterns.

Single-family data collection began monthly in 1968, while condo data collection began quarterly in 1981; the series were combined in 1999 when monthly collection of condo data began. Prior to this period, single-family homes accounted for more than nine out of 10 purchases. Historic comparisons for total home sales prior to 1999 are based on monthly single-family sales, combined with the corresponding quarterly sales rate for condos.

2 The median price is where half sold for more and half sold for less; medians are more typical of market conditions than average prices, which are skewed higher by a relatively small share of upper-end transactions. The only valid comparisons for median prices are with the same period a year earlier due to seasonality in buying patterns. Month-to-month comparisons do not compensate for seasonal changes, especially for the timing of family buying patterns. Changes in the composition of sales can distort median price data. Year-ago median and mean prices sometimes are revised in an automated process if additional data is received.

The national median condo/co-op price often is higher than the median single-family home price because condos are concentrated in higher-cost housing markets. However, in a given area, single-family homes typically sell for more than condos as seen in NAR’s quarterly metro area price reports.

3 Total inventory and month’s supply data are available back through 1999, while single-family inventory and month’s supply are available back to 1982 (prior to 1999, single-family sales accounted for more than 90 percent of transactions and condos were measured only on a quarterly basis).

4 Distressed sales (foreclosures and short sales), days on market, first-time buyers, all-cash transactions and investors are from a monthly survey for the NAR’s Realtors® Confidence Index, posted at Realtor.org.

NOTE: NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index for April will be released May 26, and Existing-Home Sales for May will be released June 22; release times are 10:00 a.m. ET.body

Homeowners in Alaska should always be aware of the foreclosure laws in Alaska and how to prevent such occurrences from happening.

In Alaska, the most common type of procedure of foreclosure is non-judicial. This means that the process of foreclosure with any property is done outside of the Courts.

This article is meant to help homeowners and distressed home sellers recognize the different types of foreclosure laws in Alaska, and to understand their own personal situations with foreclosure. Continue reading →

Alaska became a part of the United States in 1959, and it is the largest, most sparsely populated state in the country. For many, visiting Alaska means the opportunity to explore vast expanses of untouched wilderness, wide-open spaces, abundant wildlife and more. Alaska is the epitome of outdoor adventure. For those who are planning to move to Alaska, there is lots of opportunity for both career and personal growth in larger cities such as Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau.

If you’re looking for more information before you set down roots in this amazing state, consider the following information below to help with your decision.

Advantages of Living in Alaska

Natural Elements

The first and most obvious advantage of living in Alaska is having the opportunity to enjoy the breath-taking views every day. For those who value rich wildlife, natural views and an active lifestyle Alaska is certainly a place to set down roots.

Winter Weather

The average temperature in Alaska is 37 degrees Fahrenheit, and the average annual snowfall from 1981-2010 ranged from 32.3″ (82cm) to 326.3″ (828cm). Individuals and families who enjoy outdoor activities, specifically in the winter will certainly be able to enjoy lots of skiing, snowboarding and other winter sports. Continue reading →

If you find yourself journeying through beautiful Alaska, Anchorage is a stop you’ll want to make! Anchorage is the largest town in Alaska, and visiting tourists love to explore its many inland tourist attractions and excursions! Add a stop to your plans and visit Anchorage, the world’s largest seaplane base!

In this two part series, we will be helping you identify the top fifteen tourist attractions in Anchorage, to ensure that you don’t miss out on some of the best sites Anchorage has to offer! In part one, check out these 7 attractions that will meet the expectations of history buffs, animal lovers, nature fans and more!1. Alaska Native Heritage CenterGet to know Alaska’s eleven indigenous groups, natives and tribes. See the natives work on their traditional crafts and let them teach you how to make them yourself. You can also take part in their cultural dances, games, artifact demonstrations, and storytelling too! http://www.alaskanative.net

2. Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson CenterThere is no better place to learn about the history of Alaska, the arctic and its people than the Anchorage Museum at Rasmuson Center.

Kids will love the “Imaginarium Discovery Center” as well as the “Spark Lab” where kids can take part in hands-on activities to learn about the history of invention! The modern museum is a beautifully designed, glass building that is full of permanent and visiting exhibits that you can explore again and again! https://www.anchoragemuseum.org

3. Alaska Wildlife Conservation CenterThis 200-acre wildlife conservation center in Alaska was created to protect and provide refuge for injured, orphaned and sick wildlife animals. Experience up-close encounters with the wildlife, and learn about the different species and their various habitats. Some of the awesome animals you’ll see include elk, bison, eagles, bears and more! Some fun presentations for the kids include moose and musk ox calf bottle feeding, lynx feedings, and presentations with porcupines! https://www.alaskawildlife.org

Merry Christmas! As you gather with friends and family to celebrate this special day, I hope your time is filled with moments of love and laughter. Through generosity, kindness and fellowship we bring a joyful end to 2015, and start the new year off right. I would like to sincerely thank all of the folks who have bought and sold Real Estate with me! This was a record breaking year and I owe it all to my wonderful clients!

Mold is an important component in nature, which helps in the breakdown of dead, organic matter. It is a fungus that has the ability to grow wherever moisture is present, which unfortunately also includes the inside of our homes. In large quantities mold can become a health hazard that is especially harmful to infants and children, causing irritations, allergic reactions or respiratory problems.